Legalize it, don’t criticize it (thank you Jimmy Cliff)

I completed my TEFL program two years ago at school in Chiang Mai. At the end of the course, each future-EFL-teacher received an official certificate of completion. Since my school is a Ministry of Education affiliated school in Chiang Mai, I am eligible to legalize my certificate in Chiang Mai (rather than going to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok—nooo! Not that place again!). The director of the school sent an end-of-course email detailing how to get the certificate legalized, along with a Google-maps location. Sounded easy-peasy. Until it wasn’t.

Part of the issue was that the instructions were sent pre-COVID-19. During the initial “Stay at Home” orders, many offices closed for weeks or longer—i.e.—permanently. In the ensuing two years since the initial mandate, finding current and correct business information has been fraught with outdated advice and “experts” who have no idea, but make matters worse by giving wrong information, e.g. telling me that “No, it is not possible to legalize your document.”

Remaining stubbornly undeterred, I plowed ahead into the abyss of outdated information. In the process, I discovered a couple of things: 

1) It is possible to get my certificate legalized in Chiang Mai.

2) The Google-maps location sent from my school was correct two years ago.

3) It is not correct as of December 2021.

Why why why

Why was I trying to legalize my certificate two years after completing my TEFL course? Why didn’t I get it legalized immediately upon completion, when I could have shared a taxi with four of my classmates, breeze over to the Chiang Mai Provincial Office, pay for express service, sip a cappuccino while waiting for an hour, breeze back to pick up our legalized certificates, and taxi back with my friends?

Exactly. I asked myself the same question—Why, why, why? —with more than a hint of an accusatory tone while I wandered around the 3rd floor of the Chiang Mai Provincial Office. I kept checking the photos of the office on my phone against the real-life offices I passed by—none advertising “Legalization Services”.

To properly answer the question—Why, why, why?

When I graduated from the TEFL program two years ago, I believed I would only want to live and teach in Thailand. However, I now want the ability to expand my range of countries in which to work. For example, to teach in Vietnam, I need to furnish a legalized TEFL certificate. Hence, my wandering the halls of the Provincial Office.

I was about to make a 2nd lap when I poked my head into the “ASEAN Information Office” because their sign was in English, and they were offering information. 

“Sawasdii-ka!” I said brightly. “I’m looking for the Legalization Office.”

Young Thai women eating breakfast at their desks swiveled their heads in unison to look at me, but said nothing.

A Thai man approached me, asking what I needed. I held up a legalization sticker from a different document and said, “I need this sticker.”

He said something to me in Thai, but I shook my head, not understanding. Then he said something to the young Thai women, but they shook their heads—pretending to not understand. God bless this man for not giving up! He hollered at a man in a different office and led me to him. The second man was able to speak rudimentary English, and explained that the Legalization Office was no longer located in the Chiang Mai Provincial Office, but now at the Temporary Passport Office.

I asked, “Is it nearby? Can I walk there?”

He shook his head, took my phone and located it on the map. It would be a 41 minute walk, or a 15 minute drive. I had already taken a taxi from the center of Chiang Mai to the outskirts—where all of the provincial government offices are located. Now I would have to go beyond the outskirts to the sticks. The name of the road for the Temporary Passport Office is translated as “Rural Road”.

First thing: Grab app wouldn’t locate the Temporary Passport Office, but showed a different building—the Convention Center—instead. It literally would not take me to Rural Road.

God Bless the Second Man for helping me! He repeatedly moved the map to force the “pin location” at the Temporary Passport Office, but once he let go, Grab app would re-locate to the Convention Center.

“You will have to take a taxi to the Convention Center, then walk to the Temporary Passport Office,” he said. 

I thanked him and walked downstairs. I installed InDriver app, and discovered that it successfully located the Temporary Passport Office. I ordered a taxi, and Thankggod, the driver drove me to Rural Road. It was obviously his first time at this destination, since he questioned the security guard, “What the hell is this office and where the hell am I?”—minus “hell”—he did utter everything else.

The driver turned around and shrugged.

I shrugged, paid him, said “Thank you” and got out of the taxi.

 Voilà! The Temporary Passport Office.

I walked in, and passed through security. I held up my legalization sticker, indicating what I was looking for. The security lady ushered me to a different Thai lady. I showed her my legalization sticker, so she gestured for me to keep walking around the corner.

Finally, a sign with English: Legalization Office.

The window where I submitted a request for legalization. I needed to show my original passport, furnish a photocopy of my passport, and the original TEFL certificate.

Per the sign below, the office no longer offers “express service”, only regular service, so I would have to leave and come back two days later to pick up my certificate. A big bummer, since I do not enjoy taking expensive taxi trips back and forth to remote, rural roads. There would be no breezing in for express service, sip a cappuccino while I waited an hour, and waltz back to pick up my certificate. Instead, I would have to return two days later.  

Thanggod for the security guard

I hailed a taxi via InDriver to take me back to the center of Chiang Mai. Luckily, the security guard was nearby, because moments after accepting my taxi request, the taxi driver called me to ask, “What the hell is this place and where the hell are you?” I dutifully handed my phone to the security guard, who must get these questions all day long. 

To note: when I came back two days later, I again ordered a taxi to pick me up from the Temporary Passport Office. Via the map, I saw the taxi inch along Rural Road, stop for awhile, make a U-turn, and start driving in the opposite way. Then he canceled my order!

I put in a second order for pick up from the Temporary Passport Office. There was a longer wait for drivers to accept my request. When a driver did accept my request, he did so by counter-offering my fare and raising the price. I accepted his fare—after all—I did want to get home! Shortly after confirming my trip, this driver called me to ask, “What the hell is this place and where the hell are you?” On cue, I handed my phone to the security guard.

Below: Legalized TEFL Certificate.

To summarize the steps:

• The Legalization Office is located in the Temporary Passport Office. Enter the building and pass through security on the left-hand-side.

• InDriver app will correctly locate the address, although you and/or the security guard will need to help the driver find it.

• There is only 2-day regular service, for 200THB per document.

• Hours: the website says 8:30-16:30, but pick up is from 8:30-15:30, per my receipt.

• Bring your original passport, a photocopy of your passport, and the original document. If you do not want them to put the sticker on your original document, then bring a photocopy of your document.

• There are no cappuccino cafés nearby.

Receipt for legalizing.